Are we not supposed to receive the host on our hands?

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SuS33

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Someone who’s a Catholic from Europe told me that the Catholic Church in America does not follow Rome. He gave a couple of examples like receiving the Eucharist in our hands. I thought that it was ok to do that after Vatican II.

plus Americans are not the only ones who do that but I have no proof.

Anyone knows? :confused:
 
I would suggest this person needs to review the official rulings of the church (in this case, the GIRM). Communion in the hand is allowed. I have received in the hand across the US - and Europe, too. The accusations here seem to have no basis.
 
Vatican II did not allow communion in the hand. Communion in the hand started as an abuse after Vatican II when people thought Vatican II changed all kinds of things like getting rid of the communion rail. Given the wide spread abuse of communion in the hand, Rome issued an idult permitting communion in the hand to certain countries, under the condition that those who wished to follow the universal norm of receiving communion on the the tongue while kneeling were allowed to. It is still the universal norm to receive communion on the tongue while kneeling. No Catholic can ever be refused communion on the tongue while kneeling. On the other hand, those who wish to receive in the hand may be refused communion in the hand of there is risk of profanation of the Eucharist.
 
The GIRM for the US makes it clear that one may receive in the hand or on the tongue:
  1. …When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister. **The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant. **When Holy Communion is received under both kinds, the sign of reverence is also made before receiving the Precious Blood.
The rule may or may not be the same in other countries.
 
According to the early teachings of St. Cyril, who lived in the 4th Century and is a Doctor of the Church, Communion in the Ancient Church was indeed received in the hands.

“Approaching, do not come with thy palms stretched flat nor with fingers separated. But making thy left hand a seat for thy right, and hollowing thy palm, receive the Body of Christ, responding Amen. And having with care hallowed thine eyes by the touch of the Holy Body, take it, vigilant lest thou drop any of it. For shouldst thou lose any of it, it is as though thou wast deprived of a member of thy own body.” “Then after Communion of the Body of Christ, approach the Chalice of His Blood, not extending thy hands, but bending low, and with adoration and reverence saying Amen, sanctify thyself by receiving also the Blood of Christ. And while thy lips are yet wet, touch them with thy hands, and sanctify thy eyes and thy forehead and thy other senses” (Cat. Myst., v, 22, 21-22). oce.catholic.com/index.php?title=Cyril_of_Jerusalem%2C_Saint

Where the quote that I copied and pasted says “seat,” I had always heard “throne.” There is nothing inherently more sacred about the tongue than the hand.
The wafer form of the host with which most of us are familiar is a later development in Christianity, as well, as the number of Christians increased.
A pious act of a young priest that I knew was to bake the bread that was to used at the Masses he celebrated.

Whether a person receives Communion on the hand or tongue, what is most important is that he receive with reverence and awe.
 
DebChris said:
According to the early teachings of St. Cyril, who lived in the 4th Century and is a Doctor of the Church, Communion in the Ancient Church was indeed received in the hands.
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Although there was supposedly a wide use of the cloth as well.
 
He probably said that because the Church’s custom is still to receive Communion kneeling and on the tongue. To receive Communion in the hand is a dispensation from this custom, but it is allowed in many countries, including America.
DebChris said:
According to the early teachings of St. Cyril, who lived in the 4th Century and is a Doctor of the Church, Communion in the Ancient Church was indeed received in the hands.

“Approaching, do not come with thy palms stretched flat nor with fingers separated. But making thy left hand a seat for thy right, and hollowing thy palm, receive the Body of Christ, responding Amen. And having with care hallowed thine eyes by the touch of the Holy Body, take it, vigilant lest thou drop any of it. For shouldst thou lose any of it, it is as though thou wast deprived of a member of thy own body.” “Then after Communion of the Body of Christ, approach the Chalice of His Blood, not extending thy hands, but bending low, and with adoration and reverence saying Amen, sanctify thyself by receiving also the Blood of Christ. And while thy lips are yet wet, touch them with thy hands, and sanctify thy eyes and thy forehead and thy other senses” (Cat. Myst., v, 22, 21-22). oce.catholic.com/index.php?title=Cyril_of_Jerusalem%2C_Saint

Where the quote that I copied and pasted says “seat,” I had always heard “throne.” There is nothing inherently more sacred about the tongue than the hand.
The wafer form of the host with which most of us are familiar is a later development in Christianity, as well, as the number of Christians increased.
A pious act of a young priest that I knew was to bake the bread that was to used at the Masses he celebrated.

Whether a person receives Communion on the hand or tongue, what is most important is that he receive with reverence and awe.
Click to expand...
However, people in the early Church received Communion in the hand much differently from today. They didn’t touch the Host with their fingers and would carefully check if any crumb was left on their hand. Women would cover their hands with a cloth while receiving Communion. It should also be remembered that the exterior acts of devotion are reflective of the interior piety & reverence, and exterior acts help foster interior devotion. Personally, I find kneeling and receiving on the tongue much more reverent.
 
SuS33 said:
Someone who’s a Catholic from Europe told me that the Catholic Church in America does not follow Rome. He gave a couple of examples like receiving the Eucharist in our hands. I thought that it was ok to do that after Vatican II.

plus Americans are not the only ones who do that but I have no proof.

Anyone knows? :confused:
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Rome granted the indult for communion in the hand:South Africa, 3 February 1970
Canada, 12 February 1970
Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), 2 October 1971
Zambia, 11 March 1974
New Zealand, 24 April 1974
Australia, 26 September 1975
England and Wales, 6 March 1976
Papua and New Guinea, 28 April 1976
Ireland, 4 September 1976
Pakistan, 29 October 1976
United States, 17 June 1977
Scotland, 7 July 1977
Malaysia and Singapore, 3 October 1977

condition: If there is a risk of profanation, then Holy Communion should not be given in the hand to the faithful.

ewtn.com/expert/answers/communion_in_hand.htm
 
SuS33 said:
Someone who’s a Catholic from Europe told me that the Catholic Church in America does not follow Rome. He gave a couple of examples like receiving the Eucharist in our hands. I thought that it was ok to do that after Vatican II.

plus Americans are not the only ones who do that but I have no proof.

Anyone knows? :confused:
Click to expand...
One of the past popes however had conditions to communion on the hand. Like, you must check you hands upon receiving. I believe it is immoral to receive on the hand, since many precious particles are lost, and this is an abuse. Just the other day, my brother found part of a host on the floor, which he rightfully consumed.

Also, thousands of hosts are on the ground at papal masses. And what did they do to these hosts. They put them in trash bags, and burned them! That is not the right way to go about it. Communion on the hand leads to these abuses.

I would receive on the tongue, and push the host to the top of you mouth, so the host is dissolved, then swallowed. This makes it so you don’t get the host in your teeth. The church did this for years, and rightfully so.

I hope you adopt this practice.
 
Most of the time I receive on the tongue, and find it preferable, but lately I’ve been fighting a sore throat and I gratefully receive in the hand and I’m very grateful for the indult for this. I would rather do this than risk infecting anyone else but I cannot wait to switch back to the normative.

Although, admittedly, most of the people at the parish do accept on the hand as a matter of course.
 
SuS33 said:
Someone who’s a Catholic from Europe told me that the Catholic Church in America does not follow Rome. He gave a couple of examples like receiving the Eucharist in our hands. I thought that it was ok to do that after Vatican II.

plus Americans are not the only ones who do that but I have no proof.

Anyone knows? :confused:
Click to expand...
Communion on the tongue. The priest says “Body of Christ” because it is. Where did Vatican II make such a statement? There is no basis for this claim.

Ed
 
edwest2 said:
Communion on the tongue. The priest says “Body of Christ” because it is. Where did Vatican II make such a statement? There is no basis for this claim.
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Prior to Vatican 2, the communion formula was “May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul into life everlasting.” Thus maybe the confusion? You’re right, hands had nothing to do with Vatican 2.

Interestingly enough, that same formula is still used for the priest’s communion, I believe. Why they shortened it for others, we’ll never know.
 
TheFraggle said:
Also, thousands of hosts are on the ground at papal masses. And what did they do to these hosts. They put them in trash bags, and burned them! .
Click to expand...
That is an astounding claim.

What is your source?
 
As has already been pointed out, communion on the tongue is not the universal practice of the Church.

cuf.org/2005/07/communion-in-the-hand-when-did-it-start/

The practice of communion on the hand as we know it began in 1969, but has it’s roots in early Christianity. While the prescribed practice is for all Catholics to receive communion on the tongue while kneeling, this is not the only permissible practice. Anyone who says otherwise is what I like to call, “wrong.”
 
In America you may do either on the hand or by mouth.

I now do it by mouth.
 
It’s simple…both are allowed, and except in opinion, none is “better” than the other.

As important as liturgical form is, we should never lose site of the importance of how we serve God and our neighbors outside the liturgical setting.

Peace and all good!
 
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